Teachers union chief slams 'top-down' reform
Says deadline for school-closing announcements shouldn't be extended
By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah, Chicago Tribune reporter
Showing the same combativeness that was on display during the recent strike, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said Tuesday that the wealthy backers of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's efforts to overhaul the city's troubled schools should donate money to support public education but otherwise butt out.
"I think they should do what they do when they give money to the Lyric Opera," Lewis said during a City Club of Chicago lunch. "I don't believe they give money to the Lyric Opera and then go tell the singers how to sing. ... Give your money and walk away, buddies. When you don't know something, don't dilettante your way into it."
Lewis' criticism was directed at people like school board member Penny Pritzker, a member of one of Chicago's richest families and a supporter of education reform, and Bruce Rauner, a retired private equity executive who has helped lead the drive for privately run charter